On Wednesday, March 18, the New York Sirens took on the Vancouver Goldeneyes for their final matchup of the 2025-26 Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) season. In the three meetings prior, the Sirens won two games, and the Goldeneyes won one.
This game started out strongly in favor of Vancouver, as they scored twice in the first six minutes. New York answered back with a goal a minute later, but the Goldeneyes scored one more in the first 20 minutes to take a two-goal lead. The Sirens scored in the second to make it a one-goal game, but the Goldeneyes scored two unanswered in the third period to take a 5-2 win. The season series ends with each team taking two wins.
Sirens Had a Sloppy First Period
There is no denying that Vancouver capitalized on the ice in the first period. They drew an early penalty from Sarah Fillier, which resulted in a power-play goal from the Goldeneyes. They scored again from a poor Sirens turnover just two minutes later to take a strong, early lead.
The Goldeneyes had 12 shots on net in the first period while the Sirens only had five. Fillier managed to get New York on the board after she tipped a shot from Maja Nylen Persson. Unfortunately, the Goldeneyes scored again to keep their lead strong in just the first 20 minutes of play.
Sirens Attempted the Comeback
The Sirens made a push to even the score against the Goldeneyes in the second period. They were rewarded for it at the 13-minute mark. Nicole Vallario took a shot, and Anna Bargman was in front of the net. She got her stick on the puck to direct it in to bring the Sirens within one.
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Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough to complete the comeback, but it was still a great game for Bargman. This is now her second goal in two straight games. She also has three points in her last two games, from an assist in the last game. The rookie now has six points in her PWHL career and has been stepping up and finding her way in the last few games.
This was also a great game for Vallario, who has only played three games this season. She was activated from the Sirens’ reserve list ahead of this game. This was her first PWHL assist. Ironically enough, she scored her first goal against Vancouver earlier this season. She now has two points in her career and spent the most amount of time on the ice that she has all season, recording an ice time of 13:09. She might not always be in the lineup for the Sirens, but Vallario has proven she is a great two-way defender.
Sirens Missing Key Players
As the PWHL gets deeper into the season, the Sirens cannot afford to lose any more strong players.
They just lost Taylor Girard in the last game due to a knee injury. Ahead of the game, they announced she has been placed on long-term injured reserve (LTIR), and they have signed forward Clair DeGeorge to a standard player agreement. DeGeorge did not play in this game, but she has played for three teams in her last three seasons in the PWHL, playing in 66 games and recording three assists. She is still seeking her first PWHL goal.
New York has also been missing Casey O’Brien from their last two games. She went down with an injury in New York’s last home game on March 8 and has not returned to the lineup since. Hopefully, she is okay and can get back with her team soon.
In this game, Kristyna Kaltounkova took two big hits that left her shaken up. After the second hit in the third period, she went down the tunnel to be evaluated, but quickly returned to the game. Kaley Osborne was also hit while she was defending the crease by Tereza Vanisova, who was skating in fast on a breakaway and didn’t have time to brace herself before colliding into the net. Osborne was also shaken up, but she finished out the game.
The Sirens are already missing vital players from their team; they can’t afford to miss any more. Especially since they are trying to make a push for their first postseason run.
Sirens Continue the Road Trip
The Sirens will stay on the road and head to Chicago for a Takeover Tour game against the Seattle Torrent on Wednesday, March 25.
